Success of Full-scale Coal Lift

Chronicle (Levin), 16 July 1949, Page 5

Success of Full-scale Coal Lift

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—Rp.uta:

•_ Com/rio'ht)

Fridav, 8.15 p.m. 1 SYDNEY, Julv 15. A cmnplote lack of demonstrations po far lias niarkod the State Goveimment's in l-ri'iilc coal lift from the I northern lields. Previouslv 700 tons of j coal had been lil'ied from tlie Rothburv. area without trouble, l»nt this was (Iona ],.fore Poiiununist ngitators had a cltnnco to organise opposition. Today 's lift was regarded as a tost of strength between tlie Govarnment and tlie mili-tants a tlie Cessnock, Kurri. Weston and Maitland areas were r".;:uded as tlie storm centre of tlie present strike. An.itators had made a nnmber of thieats and snffirient timo had elansed f,,r nossilde action to come to a head. y.-arlv 400 police watehed for sabotagO[ p;.-„M'Mi.-nt the.niffht, but all was quiet. , Siiortlv after the first train left lock the police reeeived an anonv- 1 m-.ps ' te'liqihone call that an attempt , would be made to derail the fpllowins; irains by fellincr a tree aeross the bne. Si-n>(> small branches were found lying icross tlie tracks, bnt no serious at1 luript at sabotage was discoverod. Ttailvav detectives and officials preeeded t'ii- first train on trolleva. The move was soon under wav and bv e'lrl v this afternoon 20 trains earrv- \ • ubout sOOO tons of eoal had passed iough (ireta junction bound for X v.-astle. Tt is expocfed that 17.000 i - will be nioved by tomorrow, leav- . nnlv SOOO tons in the dumps. Twentv-fonr trains witli 10,000 tons . ,,f i-iiul are schednled to start sonth ft'iui Xeweastle tonight. the first one r fching Sydney early tomorrow mornTho militants having failed to pre- - i-ut the eoal lift are now lianking on l-.ilitant unionists refusing to work the M"T>t« in which the eoal will be used. This bid is meeting with a mixed reeop-ti-.n. This afternoon the Ptate exeenf' e of the Anstralinn Federated TTnion ( » f T.ocnniotive Jvngineers ioined tlie Australian "Railwavs Tnion in direefing its members to work trains as roquirert ovi-r all normal rontes. The exeeutive deplored tlie aefions of the mining miions' leaders and expressed the view that it was high time the ra nk and file of all nnions toolc more interest in the eontrol of funds. The cxecntive asked the miners to demand a.'rcregate meetings to end tlie hardship on the community. Todav a full bench of the Tndnstrial ronniiission fonnd that the refusal of the S'oamen 's T'nion to take eolliers to Xeweastle for essential eoal supplies "bore the halhnark of unlawful eonspiraey, " and eould be snbieet to indietment. The beneli deeided it had no jnrisdiefion to deal with the matter and direeted that the papers be sent to the Federal and State AttorneyFenerals. The beneh commented that the seamen's refusal was apparently aimed at intensifying the eoal shortage bv seeing that no eoal would be available to the community, ineluding hospitals. The Australian Labour Partv's eampaign against the strike on the eoalfields is believed to be gradually bringing results, though eompetitioli from t'ornmunist organisers is still strong. Some Labour Party m^ji predict imprcsO

sive results within a week. Today Labour Party speakers addressed the miners at Greta after whieh the lodge sccretarv (Mr. W. McKendry) doelared that most of the men now knew they would have to go back to arbitration. He added that this was tlie first time the otlier side of tlie ease had been put to the..miners and that if aggregate meetings of miners-»«were ealled the *ote in favour of the strike would be reversed. Large eonvovs of army vehicles rrom all the easteni States are converging on Xeweastle. but tl'.e army is preserving the strictest silence as to their possible use. The aeting general seeretar% ot the Miners' Federation (Mr. .J. Fommerfordi said this afternoon that the threat to withdraw the safety men from the iiiines' was 110 idle one. He added: "If the Oovernment has 110 scruples in this fight we will have none about withdruwiijg the safetv men. \\ e. also expect unionists not to handle ' blaek ' coal or msiintain plants using it. Mre expect. everv unionist to ob- 1 serve onr baii rigidly as the miners would observe a ban iniposed by an-l otlier union. ' '